As a hockey fan, I loved Julie Cross's Juniper Falls series. Here are my reviews of Off the Ice and Breaking the Ice.

Julie's characters are so raw and authentic that you can't help falling in love with them. Knowing that, I jumped at the chance to read Hiding Lies.

At Holden Prep, dirty little secrets always have a way of coming to the surface.

Eleanor Ames has never been what she seems. Average high school student on the outside, but reformed con artist trying to break free of her past on the inside. When Eleanor receives startling news about someone from her previous criminal life, plans for a new operation coinciding with her school’s upcoming field trip quickly consume her.

But operations rarely go according to plan. And this is one her irresistible teen FBI agent boyfriend, Miles, would never approve of.

Now, more than just Ellie’s reputation is at stake. If she fails, it could be her life.

A con artist? A teen FBI agent? YES! I am here for it!

I knew Hiding Lies was second in the Eleanor Ames series. I was excited to check it out but skeptical because I hadn't read Chasing Truth. I enjoyed Hiding Lies so much that Chasing Truth is on my kindle for me to start as soon as I finish writing this review.

This book was so much fun to read! Everyone has been comparing it to Veronica Mars, but I'm not familiar with that character so my best comparison would be a very mature version of Kim Possible. (Anyone remember that Disney channel show?)

Ellie is a strong, resourceful girl who doesn't need anyone's help. She's had enough training working cons with her family to talk her way out of any situation, but she's in way over her head this time.

Julie Cross has a magic gift of effortlessly capturing the inner monologue of a teenage girl without reducing her thoughts to boys and if she's going to pass Algebra. Ellie may be working as an FBI informant, but she's still a teenager. She still makes mistakes, misunderstands situation, and allows her own flawed thinking to override her judgement.

Add her well-drawn character to a plot that flipped every time I thought I knew what going on and I was hooked!

Hiding Lies can standalone, but I would suggest reading Chasing Truths first. There were characters and references that I'm sure I would have appreciated more if I'd read Chasing Truths first. Also, there are obvious spoilers in Hiding Lies. Just be warned.

Being the second book, the beginning involves a good amount of set up and letting the reader know what happened in the first book. Don't let that sway your opinion. Keep reading it gets so much better!

I would recommend this book for older teens. It does contain sex scenes (although they are not as frankly depicted as they are in the Juniper Falls series).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next in the series.

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Hiding Lies

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